The 55EM9700 model uses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, which is more energy efficient and arguably offers a better picture quality than LCD and plasma-based TVs.

Samsung has also announced an OLED model, but LG is first to the market.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, LG went even further by announcing another new 55-inch OLED set, the EA9800, which features a curved design.

Built with proprietary four-color WRGB technology (red, green, blue and white), the super-thin display offers a vivid picture quality that is claimed to be "practically indiscernible from colors found in nature".

The EA9800 model features the industry's first curved screen ergonomic design with full Cinema 3D support.

Featuring a "gentle inward flex", the entire screen surface is equidistant from the viewer's eyes and the set has a minimal bezel to create a more immersive viewing experience.

The set will ship with an easy-to-mount bracket giving less than a one-inch gap between the wall and TV, enabling the set to be "displayed like a true work of art".

"LG is the first to launch the 55-inch OLED TV," said Havis Kwon, the president and chief executive of LG's Home Entertainment Company.